Slowing Down When Everyone Else is Speeding Up

Extreme busyness is a chronic disease that afflicts many moms today. As a matter of fact, I was just listening to the One Month to Live DVD by Kerry and Chris Shook. They identified three passion busters. I'm not talking about sexual passion, although I'm sure your husband would love that. The three factors that kill our passion for life are bitte
ess, burnout and busyness. I'm only going to focus on busyness right now because it is a huge source for not only zapping our passion, but also our energy.

Look around you. Talk to your mom friends. Would any of them tell you they are bored with very little to do? What I hear all the time is "I'm so busy". Raising a family is typically busy. The more children you have, the busier you are. The less help you have, the harder it is. Although extreme busyness is the "norm" in many families, there are other ways to live. If you want to regain your passion and energy for life, try doing life a little bit differently.

Slim Down Your Calendar
Last night, the leader of our church community group told us she was stepping down for a little while. As the mother of two teenagers, a wife to a pastor, a full-time employee and an active volunteer at church, she was spent. She had very little energy or time, and her busy schedule was having a great impact on her spiritual life and her emotional well-being.

When you look at your volunteer activities, work schedule, social commitments and extracurricular interests in your family, is there more than you can handle? Do you go from one activity to the next, wondering when you will ever have the time to sit down and relax? It might be time to let go of everything that is not absolutely important to you. At first, you may think that everything is important, but ask yourself the real purpose for everything you do. If you do anything out of guilt, obligation, trying to fit in, competing with other people or to fill an emotional void, it's time to rethink your commitments. If you were told you only had 30 days left to live, would you fill your life with endless activities, or would you just spend time loving your family and friends?

Force Yourself to Take Down Time
Forget about the countless items on your to do list for a little while. I can guarantee they will be there when you come back. Force yourself to take some time to relax and do absolutely nothing. It is okay to sit in a chair and daydream or lie down on your bed and read a good book. Often, I take a 20 minute break during the day. I lie down with the sole intention of clearing my mind and letting go of everything I need and want to do. I force myself to be still until I am thinking about nothing whatsoever (and yes, I work and have children). I get up completely recharged and ready to be productive. Taking down time is not only acceptable, but necessary for maintaining our energy for motherhood.

Savor the Simple Moments
When we are too busy, we miss the simple moments of life. I remember going outside with my son one morning to complete a school project. He needed to collect several different kinds of leaves. As we moved from tree to tree plucking leaves, my mind was a thousand miles away. I was thinking about everything else going on in life. My son's words jolted me back to reality. He looked at me and said "Isn't this fun, mom?" Wow! How could I have missed this simple moment? What matters most in life are the moments we share with people we love. It's those moments that we often take for granted. We assume they will be there tomorrow when we have more time. The problem is that time never comes - it has to be created. When we create the time to really drink in those magical moments, our soul is filled and our energy is refreshed.

Be Different Than Everyone Else
You don't have to live the same life as your neighbor or your best friend. You don't have to fill your life with endless commitments or place unreasonable expectations on yourself just because all the moms you know are doing it. You can be the change that helps slow this world down. You can be the example that people follow when they simply want to relax and enjoy life a little bit more. You can be the mom with a smile on her face, a peace in her heart, and a contagious passion for life.